Jesuit earns 2014 Green Ribbon School award

National honor recognizes campus' sustainability efforts

Jesuit High School was named a 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School on Tuesday. After a nomination by the Oregon Department of Education and the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative, the school was chosen along with eight other private schools and 39 public schools for the accolade.

"We are thrilled to earn this high honor," said Paul Hogan, principal of Jesuit High School. "We are especially proud that our students and staff have changed our behavior and institutional practices in order to make a lighter imprint on the earth.

Green Ribbon Schools are recognized for their reduction in environmental impacts and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff and providing effective environmental and sustainability education.

At Jesuit, this is put into practice through extensive recycling efforts, striving to use durable dishware for faculty and staff, reducing energy usage per student and increasing alternative forms of transportation with students and staff. In 2013, the school received the Oregon Pillar 3 Award for Education for Sustainability, followed by the Oregon Pillar 1 Award for Environmental Impacts in 2014.

"We have worked very hard over the last few years to document what we are already doing well and have initiated ongoing conversations across many different campus groups, said Jennie Cournia, physics and advanced placement environmental science teacher at Jesuit and chairwoman of the school's Sustainability Committee. "We look forward to continuing this process."